Reading, Berkshire -- James ALLEN

[rayjoan]

I have a birth and death date for my James ALLEN but I know little about his first wife.   Her name was Tabitha Merritt, b. about 1795 in Reading.   They were married at St. Giles on 27 Oct 1811.

Would church records contain any information as to her parents and her birth date?



Thank you for any help
Joan
New Brunswick, Canada

[behindthefrogs]

The marriage entry in the parish register will not help you with her parents' names in 1811.  The only possible help would be the witnesses but no relationship will be shown.

However with such an uncommon name you ought to be able to find a baptism and that will give the Christian names of both parents.

David

[rayjoan]

Thanks so much for your reply,  David.

I have tried on every front to get some sort of birth or baptism information for Tabitha but it seems to be non-existent.  If anyone could help with the baptismal information, that would be wonderful but I don't know where to go next.


Regards
Joan.

[behindthefrogs]

I have just realized that Tabitha was under 21 when she married.  This means there is a slight chance of find a note which which indicates the name of a father who gave permission for the marriage to take place in the parish register.  Also if they were married by licence, you might be able to find the marriage bond which again could name who gave permission.

David

[rayjoan]

I have searched every site I know of to try to find this young woman.  As you say, with such an unusual name, one would think she would be easy to find.    I believe she died in 1822 and James remarried as he appears on the censuses with a wife named "Sarah".   With the information from all the censuses,  I believe Sarah's name to be "Champ" from Pangbourne.    The last child of James and Tabitha was born in 1822 so she may have died in childbirth or shortly thereafter.   This is all speculation, of course, but I am finding more and more information pointing to it as fact.

Regards
Joan.

[behindthefrogs]

Your profile doesn't give any indication of where you live but I suspect your only chance of making progress is a visit to Berkshire Record Office, as most of the records you require are not online and can only be found there.

A scan of the birth briefs on the Berks FHS site shows no sign of Tabitha but there is a Sarah Merrett with no dates indicated.  These birth briefs are only extracts from members trees.

David

[rayjoan]

I live in New Brunswick, Canada.   

I did see the Sarah Merritt name on something I was looking at and had considered it but I think I
remember the dates and information did not fit.



Thank you so much for your information, David.  Much appreciated.

Joan.

[jillruss]

I know from experience that it doesn't necessarily follow that, just because there's an unusual name involved, that person is going to be easy to find. I have a Bathsheba Boothroyd in W Yks and she's proving to be very elusive.   

Same thing with your Tabitha. There's no sign of her in the IGI. I found the marriage to James Allen in Reading on Family History Online, but I'm curious to know how you know when and where Tabitha was born?

You say about 1795 and in Reading, but the marriage record doesn't give those details and, if you think she died in 1822, I'm assuming you haven't found her on any of the censuses?

Jill

[rayjoan]

The information about the marriage was given to me by a kind person from Berkshire quite some time ago.     I also found the marriage later on FHL. 

I found the death for Tabitha Allen on FHL -- which is recorded in 1824 also in Berkshire.  (I mistakenly quoted 1822 previously).   The address is East Street,  James' address. 

I have 5 tentative children for this couple.   A boy and a girl were christened on the same date in 1822 -- although they may have been born in different years and just happened to be christened on the same date.  The eldest of the children, born in 1811, the year they were married, is my g-g-grandmother.  Information found about her on her death certificate indicates 1811 is the year of her birth.

I have not found Tabitha on any of the censuses as I believe they start in 1841, do they not?  I haven't known of any earlier ones.   From census information re James and his second wife, Sarah,  I found they were married in 1831 so I believe Tabitha died between 1822 and 1831.   I've traced James and know that he remarried and I've been able to trace him to his death.   I have James' death certificate.   I also have Sarah's,  that of his second wife.

As to knowing Tabitha was born in 1794 and in Reading, I don't.   That was the reason for my asking.  I had to give some information as to an approximate year, and because she was married in Reading and lived in Reading,  she may have been born there and I was hoping someone would do a look-up for me.


Joan.